Atta
Atta cephalotes
Nuptial Flight Calendar
Care Guide
Atta cephalotes is one of the most iconic ants on Earth — a true leafcutter of the New World tropics, ranging from southern Mexico through Central America deep into South America. The queen is enormous, reaching 22–25 mm, and the colony she founds is staggering in scale: a mature supercolony can contain one to eight million individuals. Workers are dramatically polymorphic, from 1.5 mm minims that tend the fungus garden up to 22 mm soldiers with massive heads capable of slicing through tough plant material — or fingers.
The defining feature of Atta cephalotes is its mutualistic relationship with the cultivated fungus *Leucoagaricus gongylophorus*. Workers cut fresh leaves, flowers, and fruit, carry them back along established trails, and process them into a substrate on which the fungus grows. The colony feeds exclusively on swollen fungal structures called gongylidia. The fungus cannot survive without the ants, and the ants cannot digest leaves directly without the fungus — a perfect example of obligate symbiosis.
A founding queen carries a tiny pellet of fungus in her infrabuccal pocket. After her mating flight she digs a chamber, deposits the pellet, and tends it with her own waste while raising the first generation of workers, eating almost nothing herself during this period.
Care difficulty
Expert. Atta cephalotes is one of the most demanding species in the hobby. The fungus is more delicate than the ants themselves, requiring stable conditions and impeccable hygiene, and colonies eventually demand massive setups and an endless supply of fresh leaves.
Housing
A connected modular system of fungus chambers, foraging arenas, and waste chambers is essential. Maintain temperature between 24 and 28 °C, with humidity at 80–95 % around the garden. Provide fresh, untreated leaves daily — rose, bramble, hibiscus, and oak are standard — supplemented with fruit pulp such as apple and banana, plus occasional dried protein. Never use plants exposed to pesticides; this single mistake has destroyed many promising colonies.
First days after purchase
After arrival, place the founding queen and her fungus pellet in a small, dark, humid chamber at 25 °C. Do not disturb her, do not open the container, and do not offer leaves until the first nanitic workers begin foraging on their own. Inspect daily for mold, removing any contaminated fragments with sterile tweezers. Patience during the founding stage is the single most important factor in success.